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Carlisle's first-quarter profit fell to $55.2 million, down from $60 million in the same period last year. "We expect strengthening sales, primarily in our construction-materials and interconnect businesses, and overall earnings improvement in subsequent quarters,” CEO Dave Roberts said.

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Lower raw-material costs, organic sales growth and efficiency gains helped Carlisle's first-quarter profits to increase to $24.3 million, or 39 cents per diluted share, from $6.6 million, or 11 cents per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2009. Net sales increased 5.8% to $562 million from $531.3 million a year ago.